Signs

Re "L.A.'s signs of madness," Column, March 22 I was embarrassed by the example Gale Holland used to show how confusing parking signs can be. Have we lost our ability to read and make simple deductions? Let me explain those signs in Hollywood. "Tow-Away No Parking Anytime" (arrow pointing left) means that you cannot park to the left of the sign at any time. "Tow-Away No Parking 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. " (arrow pointing right) means that you cannot park to the right of the sign during the hours posted.

Re “ Does fracking cause quakes? ,” Editorial, April 20 Thanks for your clearly voiced concerns about fracking. Certainly the geology of California, which is significantly different from other oil shale areas, implies both a risk of major seismic events and increased difficulty in containing the toxic wastes generated. The other potential problems with fracking are almost too numerous to mention in a short letter, including release of more greenhouse gases and local pollution of surface, ground and ocean water, as well as air pollution and transportation issues.

Concussions can have many symptoms, and they're not always obvious, says Dr. Tracy Zaslow of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Here are some of the symptoms, which might show up immediately after an injury but also might appear in hours or even days. • Feeling dazed, dizzy or confused • Forgetting what happened around the time of the injury • Headache • Nausea or vomiting • Sensitivity to light or noise • Change in vision or hearing • Trouble concentrating, difficulty remembering, slowed thinking • Irritability, sadness or anxiety • Losing consciousness Even one or two of these symptoms, if occurring around sports practice, games or casual play, should raise the question of a potential concussion.

In another sign that the hot Southland housing market is throttling down, homes here are staying on the market longer lately. The share of houses that have been listed for sale for at least two months climbed in the Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire and Ventura regions of Southern California compared with a year ago, according to an analysis by real estate website Trulia . Thanks to perennially tight supply, Southern California housing...

Chivas USA has signed Mexican striker Cesar Romero and two other players as it prepares for next month's Major League Soccer season opener. Romero, 22, last played for Murcielagos FC de Guamuchil in Mexico's second division. Chivas also added midfielder Peter Vagehas and defender Rauswhan McKenzie. Vagenas, 33, of Pasadena, a 12-year MLS veteran, played 16 matches for the Vancouver Whitecaps last season after spending two years with the Seattle Sounders and nine with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

It's been 11 years since the makers of "The Blair Witch Project" set their horror movie out here in the middle of nowhere and changed this little town of 180 people forever. To this day, tourists occasionally wander through Burkittsville and ask, "Where's the witch?" "There isn't one," the townspeople say, fatigued. "It isn't real ." The 1999 movie shot in eight days on a shoestring budget made a mint. It got four stars from Roger Ebert and went down in Hollywood history as a cult classic.

SACRAMENTO -- Homeowners who default on refinanced mortgages won't be liable for debts that exceed the market value of their lost properties. Late Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law legislation to close a legal loophole that could make defaulting borrowers responsible for paying back money they took out of previously more valuable homes when they refinanced their loans. The lingering debt, said the author of the bill, Sen. Ellen M. Corbett (D-San Leandro) adds a second punishment to people who already have lost their biggest possession.

Question: We live in a gated community with approximately 150 joined single-story condos. We want to sell but have been told by a board director that real estate "for sale" signs are not allowed per our covenants, conditions and restrictions. He cites the CC&Rs: "No owner, tenant or other occupant of the covered property shall post any advertisement, signs, flags, banners or poster of any kind for public display, provided that with the prior written approval of the board as to size, type, color, style and location, a sign of customary and reasonable dimension may be posted to advertise a lot for sale or lease.

Veteran forward Grant Hill has agreed to join the Clippers under the biannual exception, with a two-year deal that starts at $1.9 million and rises by 4.5% in the second year. He signed the contract late Wednesday. Hill, who will be 40 in October, is expected to back up Caron Butler at small forward. Hill picked the Clippers over the Lakers, New York Knicks and NBA champion Miami Heat. He averaged 10.2 points on 44.6% shooting last season with the Phoenix Suns, as well as 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.1 minutes.

As expected, Matt Barnes officially signed with the Clippers on Friday for what is believed to be a one-year deal making the veteran's minimum. The small forward who spent the last two seasons with the Lakers could be a key reserve with his new team, providing energy and scoring punch off the bench. Barnes, a nine-year veteran who has played with eight teams, will be teammates with Blake Griffin, the all-star power forward that Barnes shoved to the ground during a preseason game last year, drawing a flagrant foul.

Fandango, the Los Angeles-based online ticketing service owned by NBCUniversal, said it signed a deal to acquire Movieclips, an operator of film-related channels on YouTube. The acquisition will enable Fandango to significantly expand its audience reach with broader product offerings in video, content and movie discovery, the company said Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed. ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll The Movieclips network, operated by Venice-based Zefr Inc., consists of 25 YouTube channels with a catalog of 45,000 curated film clips, trailers, and original video productions.

Last week I sent a text message to a friend. A Hollywood business meeting I had high hopes for had been suddenly "postponed. " "Everybody canceled except me," I texted. She texted back, "Haha. " What's so funny about it, I wondered? Where's the haha in my disappointment? My text was more sad than funny; her text steamed me. Dismissed twice . "Haha" and its partner, "LOL," are texting's go-to replies, a vaguely complimentary, vaguely condescending way to acknowledge a text has been received.

With open enrollment for Obamacare wrapped up, insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross stayed ahead of the pack in California sign-ups and widened its lead over rival Blue Shield of California. Anthem signed up 425,058 people through April 15, or 30.5% of Covered California's exchange market under the Affordable Care Act, new data show. Anthem is a unit of Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer. San Francisco insurer Blue Shield of California trails Anthem with a 27.3% share, or 381,457 enrollees.

Valerie Harper is positively radiant these days. There's a sparkle in her eyes and a genuine warmth in her smile. Why not? She's defied the odds. Early last year, Harper was told she had three months to live. Harper, a non-smoker who had a cancerous tumor removed from her lung in 2009, has a rare form of lung cancer that had spread to areas around her brain. "I was supposed to be dead a year ago," said Harper, 74. "We are all terminal, let's face it. I did the shock and grief.

Chris Johnson has gone from the Tennessee Titans to the onetime New York Titans. The former 2,000-yard running back signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, potentially adding punch to an offense ranked 25 th in total yards last season. The Jets were the only team Johnson visited after being released by the Titans almost two weeks ago. Johnson, 28, is coming off a down season in which he averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry and didn't have a run longer than 30 yards.

Announcing that rapper Jay Z's popular Made in America music festival is coming to downtown, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that the event will "shine a spotlight" on Grand Park, the city's up-and-coming Civic Center gathering spot. But what was billed as a coup for a reemerging Central City is also prompting debate about the idea and future of a refurbished and increasingly lively public venue that cascades from the edge of the Music Center to the steps of City Hall. The open space, expanded to 12 acres and relaunched in 2012, hosted free Fourth of July fireworks and a New Year's Eve party, events that each drew tens of thousands of visitors.

The Galaxy said Friday it signed midfielder Laurent Courtois, who was released by Chivas USA on June 30. Courtois, 34, is a veteran French player who spent the last two seasons with Chivas USA, which shares its home stadium, StubHub Center in Carson, with the Galaxy. After signing with Chivas USA midway through the 2011 season, Courtois appeared in 33 regular-season games, including five this year. He scored once this season, on June 29, in Chivas USA's 1-1 tie with the New England Revolution.

Grammy-winning R&B singer Brandy has signed a record deal with RCA Records, Pop & Hiss confirmed Monday. The deal, a joint venture between RCA and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records, returns the singer to the Sony Music Entertainment fold. She previously called Epic Records home, but severed ties with the label in 2009 after the commercial disappointment of her only album for the label, 2008's "Human. " "Throughout her career, Brandy has consistently won the vote as everyone's favorite female vocalist," Peter Edge, chief executive of RCA Music Group, said in a statement.

The first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act ended this week with roughly 7.5 million people obtaining policies through the new state insurance exchanges, including more than 1.3 million at Covered California. That's an amazing and welcome result, considering how badly many of the exchanges stumbled when sign-ups began in October. Nevertheless, it's far too early to judge the success or failure of the healthcare law, given that key tests of the program's sustainability have yet to be passed.

After website troubles sparked a two-week extension, California officials wrapped up the first open enrollment for Obamacare coverage with nearly 1.3 million consumers signed up since October for the state-run exchange. Sign-ups ahead of Tuesday's enrollment deadline appeared to run more smoothly than they did March 31, the previous cut-off date. The state's Covered California website was overwhelmed that day by a last-minute surge of applicants and it repeatedly crashed. In response, officials extended a grace period until Tuesday for anyone who had already started an application or ran into technical problems.